In the reading room of the Art Department, a permanent book exhibition «Beineleu onerin bayteregi» has been organized, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the Kazakh painter, portraitist and watercolorist, People's Artist of Kazakhstan, one of the founders of the national fine arts Abilkhan Kasteev.

Abilkhan Kasteev was born in the Almaty region in the city of Dzharkent. In 1930, Kasteev moved to Almaty, where, under the guidance of the artist N.G. Khludova first got acquainted with watercolor, then in Moscow she studied in the workshop of I.I. Brodsky.In the 1930s, when thematic painting in Kazakhstan was taking only the first steps, A.Kasteev created a large series of works in which he captured the life and way of life of the Kazakh people: «Bride», «Collective farm toy», «Interior of the yurt» and other paintings.Kasteev was one of the first in Kazakhstan to take up the development of the historical and heroic theme:he created a number of works dedicated to Amangeldy Imanov.

A.Kasteev's talent was revealed most of all in the depiction of nature, especially his native Zhetysu – «Winter Quarters». The artist created a large series of watercolor landscapes (among them landscapes of Almaty and its surroundings; about 100 works in total), united by a common theme «Soviet Kazakhstan»; as well as a series «On the land of Kazakhstan» (about 50 watercolor landscapes).Many paintings are dedicated to Abai and his work – «Abai in front of the yurt», «Young Abai», «Abai on Zhailau», «Berkutchi», «Winter», «Summer», «Spring».

A.Kasteev left behind a rich creative legacy – more than 2000 paintings, watercolors, drawings: «Collective farm dairy farm», «Milking mares», «Cotton harvesting», «Collective farm toy», «Forcible removal of the bride», «Bought bride», «Golden grain», «Aksai quarry», «Alpine skating rink «Medeo»», «Turksib», «Harvest», «Talas Valley», «Kapchagai steppe». And works of the portrait genre: «Gani Muratbayev», «Kenesary Kasymov», «Kenen Azerbayev», «Shokan Ualikhanov», «Zhambyl Zhabayev», «Sabit Mukanov» and others, who compiled a kind of artistic chronicle of Kazakhstan of the ХХ century.

Kasteev – People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1944), Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1942), deputy of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR of the 4th-5th convocations. In 1966, A. Kasteev was awarded the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR for a series of watercolors «On the land of Kazakhstan». He was awarded the Order of the October Revolution, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, and the Order of the «Badge of Honor». The master's works are kept in the collections of museums in Russia and Kazakhstan. Kasteev's name was given to the State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as streets in several cities of the country.

The purpose of the exhibition is to popularize the life and work of A.Kasteev, the founder of the fine arts of Kazakhstan, and preserve his work for future generations.

The book exhibition presents materials about the life of the painter Abilkhan Kasteyev, his works from the collection of books and periodicals of the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The life, fate and creativity of Abilkhan Kasteyev will forever remain the magnificent peak of the national culture of Kazakhstan of the ХХ century. His paintings are the embodiment of love for Kazakhstan.

We invite you to the book exhibition